Davao City is an attractive destination for investment, particularly in tourism, agribusiness, manufacturing, and property development. These industries around the region are continuously thriving due to the city’s abundant supply of raw materials, affordable power and utility rates, and highly skilled and job-ready workforce. Taking pride in its favorable business climate and good trading activities across the globe, Davao is recognized among the most highly competitive cities in the country, making it a desirable location for individuals seeking to benefit from fiscal incentives. The city is constantly conducting trade promotions, expanding its membership, and providing additional fiscal incentives to investors such as tax holidays and permit fee exemptions, to transition into a more responsive and diverse environment for businesses. These wide variety of available investment opportunities and ease in doing business allowed bigger possibilities for investors to explore and positioned the city into a steady economic growth. Prior to the unprecedented economic crisis, Davao’s vibrant economy indicated strong performances with a 9.4% GRDP growth rate, 6.3% value of investment growth rates, and a 6.1% number of establishments growth rate. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Davao continues to demonstrate a diversified economy as well as a robust and accelerating business sector, which makes it a hive of investment opportunities.

In line with the “Make It Happen in the Philippines” International Investment promotion campaign of the Department Trade and Industry, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines in partnership with the Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DIPC), Embassy of Netherlands in Manila, Philippine Embassy in Hague, DTI-PTIC Brussels, and Dutch Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, invites the Dutch Business Community to explore, connect, and do business in Davao. The Netherlands is an important trading partner of the Philippines and has been a consistent top source of the Philippines’ foreign direct investment. In the first quarter of 2019, the Netherlands was the top investing country in the Philippines and focusing on the Davao region, the Netherlands is Davao’s biggest export destination in 2017. The relations between the Philippines and the Netherlands are ever developing and growing. There is an increase of Dutch companies interested in starting in the Philippines and vice versa.

The series specifically aims to:

• Promote investment and business opportunities of Davao in Netherlands
• Encourage business dialogues leading to business partnerships and collaborations for business
• Introduce a transparent and effective enabling policy environment for foreign investments
• Explore the benefits of foreign presence in the domestic economy